Loose leaf binder



May 7, 1935. s. G. JOHNSON LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed May 4, 1934 INVENTOR. .5r/7M fr 6 r/o/f/vso/v.

ATTORNEY.

Patented May 7, 1935 PATENT OFFICE LoosE LEAF BINDER Stanley G. Johnson, Grosse Pointe, Mich., assignor to The Burkhardt Company, a corpora tion of Michigan v Application May 4, 1934, Serial No. 723,944

, 6 Claims. (Cl. 1253-13) This invention relates to loose leaf binders of the post type and is applicable to both closed back and open back binders. .f

The main object `of this invention is to provide a sturdy inexpensive binder of such construction that the leaf-engaging members may be positively locked in compressed or anydesired relation to each other.

Another object of this invention is to provide a loose leaf binder having post type locking devices secured to one of the leaf-engaging members capable of positively biting into cooperating posts secured to the other leaf-engaging member to positively hold the said leaf -engaging members in compressed or any desired relation to each other.

Another objeotof this invention is to provide a positive locking post type loose leaf binder which may be economically but sturdily con- 20. structed with screw machined post type locking device parts as distinguished from the usual well known stamped guides and slides which may b easily bent out of alignment during use.

And still another object of this invention is to provide a positive vise-like biting engagement rbetween the cooperating parts of the locking device which holds the leaf-engaging members in the desired relation to each other as distinguished from the usual frictional type locking devices.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention as applied to a closed back binder is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a View in perspective having portions of the binder broken away showing a loose leaf binder of a construction embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section of Fig.

1 vshowing the binder unlocked and the cooperat- 40 ing parts ofthe binder and locking device disengaged. Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view similarto Fig. 2 except thatvthe binder'is in a locked position and the cooperating parts of the binder and locking device are shown engaged.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on line II-'d of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section'taken on line 5--5 ,of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6 5 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. r

Fig. '7 is a detailed view in perspective showing the vise-like biting engagement between the cooperating parts of .the locking device.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing the loose leaf binder comprises two leaf-engaging members I0 and II ldisposed in opposite relation to each other, covers I2 and I3 flexibly connected or hinged to the said leafengaging members, solid and hollow posts I4 and I5` on leaf-engaging members I0 and II respectively capable -ofreceiving punched filler sheets I6 by means of properly spaced holes therein, and two hollow post type locking devices having preferably hardened solid posts I'I on one of the leafengaging members I 0 and hollow posts I8 on the other leaf-engaging member II. Y

` 'I'he solid and hollow posts I4, I5, I'I and I8 may be arranged in any desirable staggered relation with respect to the leaf-engaging members I0 and II. The leaf-engaging members I0 and II are each preferably formed of sheet metal in the shape of an L to provide a closed back for the binder. -However, they may each comprise simply a fiat sheet of metal for the open back type of binder. The leaf-engaging members, covers, flexible cover connections or hinges and covering for the same may be of any desired oonstruction and material known in the bookbinding art.

This invention consists of a novel means for positively locking the leaf-engaging members of a post type loose leaf binder in a compressed or any other desired relation to each other within the useful limits ofthe telescoping engagement of the solid and hollow posts thereof. The locking means relies upon a vise-like grip and a biting engagement between the cooperating parts of the locking device.

The said locking device consists of a round solid` post YI'I preferably having an upset and shouldered hollow end forming a rivet` I9 for securing the said post to the leaf-engaging member I0, the saidl solid post I'I being preferably identical in size and detail as solid posts I 4.V A hollow post I8 having an internal diameter slight- Vly larger than solid post I1 being preferably spacing that they will register with andgbe f telescopingly engaged by hollow posts I5 and I8 which are riveted or otherwise secured to the leaf-engaging member II.

The hollow posts I8 are preferably formed by -drilling an eccentrically located vertical hole slightly larger in diameter than the solid posts I'! through a round blank of the proper length, flattening the remaining thick wall of the post to form a flat side ofthe said post I8 as shown in Fig. 1, and shouldering the same to form a hollow rivet at the bottom thereof as hereinbefore described.

Now referring to Fig. 6, each hollow post I3 is provided with a horizontally disposed round hole 2| drilled normal to the flat side of and partly through the hollow post I8 and on the same center as a smaller hole 22 which forms a shoulder 23 to seat a preferably hardened locking member 24 which functions tolock the solid post II against movement relative .to the hollow post I8 when telescopingly engaged thereby.

The locking member 24 is formedwith a shoulder beneath its head 25 to abut against the shoulder 23 formed in the hollow post 3. T he head 25 of the locking member 24 is of slightly lessV diameter than'the hole' 2l to permit assembly and the free rotation of the lockingmember 24. The top of the head 25 of the locking member 24 is ground'before hardening to form a concaved groove having substantially the same radius asthe vertical hole in the hollow post I8. The shank of the locking member 24 is lon enough to extend through the -hole 22 in the hollow post I8, receive a spring washer v26, be flattened on two sides to provide a key 29 to engage an operating lever 30, and kform ahead to retain the said locking member, spring washer and operating lever in the desired position in relation to the said hollow post I 8.

The locking member 24 may be tapered instead of shouldered without departing from the broad invention described herein, in which case holes 2| and 22 of the hollow post I8 would be formed as one tapered hole.

The operating rlever'l) is Yprovided with a lug 3I toabut against the -hollowpost I8 when the concaved head 25 of the locking member 24 is lin a disengaged position in relation to the solid post VI as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. Yel.

In operating the embodiment of this invention as illustrated in the drawing, the punched ller sheets I5 are inserted in the binder in registry with hollow'posts I5 as shown in Fig. l. The sheets I6 as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2 maybe stacked higher than hollow posts I5 and as high as desired within the useful limits of the telescoping engagement of the solid and hollow posts il' and I8 of the locking devices.

The operating lever 30 is moved to the disengaged position shown vin Fig. 2, the solid posts I4 and II are then brought in telescopic engagement with the hollow posts I5 and I8 respectively, the leaf-engaging members 'E0 and II are then preferably pressed into compressed relationship to each other thereby engaging the punched filler sheets I6 as in Fig. 3 and the op'- erating lever 3E) is moved to the engaged position as shown in Fig. 3 to lock the leaf-engaging members I0 and I I in the desired relationto each other. Y

The positive locking means of engagement between the solid and hollow posts I'I and I3 is accomplished by the vise-like biting engagement therebetween as illustrated in Figs. 4,5 and 7. Fig. 4 shows the solid and hollow posts I'I and I8l in unlocked relation to each other with the operating lever 30 in a disengaged position and the grooved head 25 of the locking member 24 coincident with the inner surface of the hollow post I8. When the operating lever 30 is moved toward its engaged position it causes the grooved head 25 of the locking member 24 to turn thereby urging the solid post I 1 against the inside of the hollow post I8 as indicated in Fig. 5; and by using the inside of the hollow post I8 to react against, a slight additional pressure on the operating lever 30 causes the high portions of the grooved head 25 of the locking member 24 to bite or cut into the solid post II thereby completing the positive locking engagement between the solid and hollow posts I'I and I8.

p It is readily observed that the above described binder is simple to operate, sturdy in construction and economical to manufacture, and provides an absolutely positive means for maintaining the leaf-engaging members in any desired relation to each other.

Although only one form of this invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In a post type loose leaf binderhavingopposed leaf-engaging members and means for receiving punched iller sheets, round solid posts secured to one of the leaf-engaging members, hollow posts having an internal diameter slightly larger than said round solid posts secured to the other leafengaging member telescopingly receiving saidsolid posts, said hollow posts having radially disposed concentric apertures therethrough forming a shouldered recess within said hollow posts for receiving a locking member, a rotatable locking member having a head concaved substantially coincident with the inner surface of the said hollow posts within each of said hollow posts, the said locking members adapted to be urged'into viselikebiting engagement with the said solid posts.

` 2. In a post type loose leaf binder having opposed leaf-engaging members and means' for receiving punched filler sheets, solid round posts secured to one of the leaf-engaging members, hollow posts having an internal diameter slightly larger than said solid posts secured to the other leaf-engaging member adapted to telescopingly cooperate with said solid posts, said hollowV posts having radially disposed concentric apertures therethrough forming a shouldered recess within said hollow posts for receiving a locking member, a locking member rotatably mounted within said hollow posts having head concaved substantially coincident with the inner surface of said hollow posts, and means to rotate said locking member to urge the solid post against'the inside of the hollow post and cause the high portions of the concaved head of the locking member to bite or cut into the said solid post.

3. A loose leaf binder comprising opposed leafengaging members, means on said leaf-engaging members for receiving punched ller sheets, round solid posts secured to one leaf-engaging member, hollow posts having an internal diameter slightly larger than said round solid posts secured to the other leaf-engaging member telescopingly receiving said round solid posts, said hollow posts having radially disposed concentric apertures therethrough forming a shouldered recess within said hollow posts for receiving a locking member, a rotatable locking member within each o'f said hollow posts having a head concaved substantially the same radius as the inside of said hollow posts, and means to rotate said locking members to cause the same to grip said solid posts with a vise-like biting engagement.

4. A loose leaf binder comprising leaf-engaging members, means on said leaf-engaging members for receiving punched ller sheets, solid round posts secured to one leaf-engaging member, cooperating hollow posts having an internal diameter slightly larger than said round solid posts secured to the other leaf-engaging member, said hollow posts having radially disposed concentric apertures therethrough forming a shouldered recess Within said hollow posts for receiving a locking member, a rotatable locking member within each of said hollow posts having a head concaved substantially the same radius as the inside of said hollow posts, means to rotate said locking m'ember in one direction to cause the high portions of the concaved head of said locking member to bite or cut into positive engagement with said solid post, and means to limit the rotation of said locking member in the other direction to bring its concaved head into axial alignment with the said hollow post to permit free reciprocating movement of the solid post within the said hollow post.

5. In a post type loose leaf binder having opposed leaf-engaging members and means for receiving punched ller sheets, round solid posts secured to one of the leaf-engaging members,

hollow posts having an internal diameter slightly larger than said round solid posts secured to the other leaf-engaging member telescopingly receiving said solid posts, said hollow posts having radially disposed concentric apertures therethrough forming a shouldered recess within said hollow posts for receiving a locking member, a rotatable locking member having a hardened head concaved substantially coincident with the inner surface of the said hollow posts Within each of said hollow posts, the said locking members adapted to be urged into vise-like biting engagement with the said solid posts.

6. Ina post type loose leaf binder having opposed leaf-engaging members and means for receiving punched iiller sheets, solid round posts secured to one of the leaf-engaging members, hollow posts having an internal diameter slightly larger than said solid posts secured to the other leaf-engaging member adapted to telescopingly cooperate with said solid posts, said hollow posts having radially disposed concentric apertures therethrough forming a shouldered recess within said hollow posts for receiving a locking member, a locking member rotatably mounted within said hollow posts having a hardened head concaved substantially coincident with the inner surface of said hollow posts, and means to rotate said locking member to urge the solid post against the inside of the hollow post and cause the high portions of the hardened concaved head of the locking member to bite or cut into the said solid post.

STANLEY G. JOHNSON. 

